Planooraph co



E. B. BERKOWITZ.

PATCH BOX FOR ENVELOP MAKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29. 1918.

. 1,31 1,636. v Patented July 29, 1919.

2 SQHEETSSHEET 1.

95 INVENTOIR. I E. 5 Berkomfz:

BY .J/ ATTO NEY THE COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH co., WASHING 101mb. C.

E. B. BERKOWITZ.

PATCH BOX FOR ENVELOP MAKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29. 1918.

Patented July 29, 1919.

2 SHEETS'SHEET 2.

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WITED TATES PATENT @FFIQE.

EUGENE IBERTRAM BERKOWITZ, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

PATCH-BOX FOR ENVELOP-lVIAKING MACHINES.

Apph'cation filed January 29, 1918.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, EUGENE BERTRAM Bnnxowrrz, citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Patch-Boxes for Env'elop-Making Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to envelop making machines, and more particularly to machines of that character used for making open face envelops, that is, envelope having a face opening covered by a transparent patch that is applied to the inner face of the envelop blank and wherethrough an address or other inscription on matter that may be placed within the envelop may be read; the principal object of the invention being to provide means, in connection with the usual gluing mechanism provided, whereby such transparent patches may be applied at the same time that the glue is applied to the edges of the blanks, as distinguished from the usual mechanism employed in making such env'elops wherein the glue is first ap plied to the edges of the blank and later, as the blank moves through the machine, the patch is attached.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved form of patch "box or container, and means for mounting the same on the picker head, whereby glue is applied to the blank edges, so that both are moved as a unit to efiect simultaneously thegluing of the blank edges and the application of the patch to the blank.

In accomplishing this object, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustratedin the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure I is a front elevation of a part of an envelop making machine to which a patch box of the present construction is applied.

Fig. 11 is a vertical, transverse sectional view of the same on the line IIII, Fig.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 214,316.

I, showing the location of the patch box relative to the pickers.

Fig. III is an enlarged plan view of the pickers and patch box.

Fig. IV is a vertical sectional view of the same on the line IV-IV, Fig. III.

Fig. V is an end view of the same parts.

Fig. VI is a View of an envelop blank before the patch is applied thereto.

Fig. VII is a view of the blank after the patch has been applied thereto.

Fig. VIII is a perspective view of a sucker tube for drawing the patches from the container.

Referring more in detail to the draw ings: p

1 designates the frame of an envelop making machine with which the present device is used, comprising opposite side standards 2 3, a horizontal connecting rail l from which spaced pairs of downwardly and out wardly curved arms 5 and 6 are extended in opposite directions and wherein the vertically spaced rails 7 8 of a guide head are formed.

Slidably mounted in the guide head 9 is a vertically movable rod 10 which is attached at its upper end to a driving device (not shown) so that it may be moved to raise and lower apicker head fixed to the lower .end thereof, into and from contact with the envelop blanks as they are fed to the mechanism.

Mounted on a bracket 12 extending from the frame to a point below the rod 10, is a horizontal table 13 whereon a stack of envelop blanks 14, cut to a desirable size is located; the standard being automatically adjustable, by mechanism (not shown), to feed the stack ,to the machine as the blanks are used, and the blanks are so located on the table that the pickers will apply the glue at the proper places.

The picker head comprises a transverse bar 16 that is fixed to the lower end of the operating rod 10 and has rounded shanks 17-18 extending from its opposite ends whereon the pickers 1920 are adjustably fixed; the said pickers comprising the forward, laterally adjustable wings 21 for applying glue to the upper flap of the envelop and the rearward wings 22 for applying glue to the lower flap, all of which are so adjustable on the carrying member that the glue may be applied tothe blanks at the proper places.

Extending between the paired frame arms 5-6 are parallel guide rods 25-25 and slidably mounted thereon are bearing members 26-26 having downwardly extending hooks 27-27 formed therewith which support and retain the opposite ends of a transverse shaft 28, whereon gluing rollers 29-30 are mounted and which are adapted for rolling contact respectively with the gluing surface of the wings 2 1 and 22 when the bearings are moved along the guide rods.

Supported by a bracket 32, extending from the frame standard 2 is a glue basin 33 and revolubly mounted therein in parallel relation with the roller shaft 28 is a driven roller 34 which is adapted to revolve partially submerged in a liquid glue that maybe contained in the basin, and extends from the top of the basin in order that the rollers 29-30 may be moved into rolling contact therewith.

In order that glue may betransmitted by the rollers 29-30 to the pickers, I provide means for moving the said rollers into contact with the roller 34 and across the underfaces of the pickers prior to each downward operation of the rod 10. This means comprises a link 38, having one end pivotally attached to the bearing 26 and its opposite end pivotally connected with the upper end of an arm 39 mounted on a shaft 40; the said shaft be- 'ing operated in such a manner that the arm will be oscillated to carry the movable rollers beneath the pickers and into contact with the driven roller 34 which revolves in the glue so that they may be coated, and will then be moved back across the pickers to transmit the glue to the latter, prior to their downward movement against the top blank of the envelop stack being fed into the machine.

Extending from the standard 2 is a bracket arm 43 and fixed thereonis a horizontal stripper plate 44 which overlies the stack of envelop blanks and is provided with openings through which the pickers and patch box presently described may be moved into contact with the blanks to effect the gluing operation, and operating adjacent the under side of the plate are spaced fingers 45-45 whereby, after each gluing operation, 'the glued blank is removed. The mechanism for operating the fingers is not shown, as it forms no part of the present invention.

Mounted on the cross bar 16 at the lower end of the rod 10 is an open bottom patch box or container 46 constructed according to the present invention, the latter being located intermediate the picker wings 19-20 and in such position that patches delivered therefrom will be properly applied and will cover the openings 47 in the envelop blanks. The box is supported by means of an anchor plate 48 which extends transversely beneath the bar 16 and is attached thereto by cap screws 49 that extend downwardly through slots 50 in the bar and are threaded into said plate; the slots 50 being located so that adjustment of the anchor plate toward or from the pickers is permitted.

Supported by bolts 51 extending downwardly from the corners of the anchor plate is'the box cover 5-2; the same being yieldingly held in spaced relation from the anchor plate by springs 53 inclosing the bolt shanks and bearing against the cover of the box.

At its opposite longitudinal edges, the

cover 52 is provided with downwardly and inwardly directed flanges 54 forming inwardly opening channels wherein support ing ribs 55 along the upper outer edges of the side walls 56-56 of the box 46 are adapted to move, andwhich support the box in functional position.

Fixed to the top of the plate 48 by means of a set screw 57 which may be loosened to permit longitudinal adjustment of the same along the plate is a stop member 58; the latter having a longitudinal slot 59 therein through which the screw shank projects and at its outer end has a downturned portion 60 which extends through a slot 61 in the end of the anchor plate and is adapted to engage the end of the patch box to limit its inward movement relative to the cover member. At the opposite end of the anchor plate is a similar stop member 65 also adjustably fixed thereto by a screw 66 and having a depending latch portion 67 pivotally attached thereto and adapted to move through a slot 68 in that end of the anchor plate, into and from engagement with the box to permit its removal or application to the cover member.

Pivotally mounted on a stud 69 extending upwardly from the top of the anchor plate is a latch 70, the free end of which is adapted to be yieldingly retained by the influence of a spring 71, in such position that the latch 67 will be held against the end of the box 46 to prevent its displacement from the cover 52 which is fixed. However, the latch may be moved against the tension of the spring to permit the latch to be moved upwardly and the box removed from the cover.

Located within the box is a stack of trans parent patches 70 which are yieldingly urged toward the open bottom of the boxby means of a plate 71 which bears against the top of the stack and carries springs 72 which bear upwardly against the top or cover of the box. Fixed by screws 73 to the lower edges of the box are plates 75 having inturned lips 76 extending therefrom within the open end of the box to support the patch stack, but the lips are only of such length that the patch may be easily pulled therefrom after glue has been applied thereto and the glued surface moved against an en velop blank.

At opposite ends of the box the walls are provided at the lower edges with notches 8080 which extend above the lower edge of the stack, and mounted on the roller shaft 28 between the rollers 29-30 are paired gluing rollers 81-82 which are adapted to move through said slots and across the lower patch of the stack to transmit glue to the opposite side edges thereof, so that when the patch box is moved downwardly against the envelop blank, the glued patch will be applied to the blank to cover the opening.

As the picker head moves upwardly the glued blank is lifted against the stripper plate so that the fingers 45 may be extended thereunder, and to prevent the patch from being pulled from the blank as the picker head continues to rise, I provide a sucker tube 82, supported by the opposite end portions 8383 of a very flexible plate 84 from the opposite edges of the opening 47 of the upper blank on the stack; the said tube being connected by a flexible connection 85 with a tube 86 leading from a suction pump (not shown) and extends through an opening 87 in the elevator table 13 in registration with the openings in the blanks 14 so that when the patch box moves against the blank stack, the lower patch will be moved against the sucker tube to cut off the intake of air and the tube will thereby be held to the patch and as the tube cannot move upwardly farther than the stripper plate the tube clings to the patch and insures its attachment to the blank as the picker head moves to its upper limit.

In order that one may know when the supply is about exhausted, I provide openings 90 in the side of the box through which the height of the stack may be observed.

Assuming that the container is so constructed and applied to the envelop machine, in using the same, a stack of patches is placed in the box and is supported therein by the inturned lips of the plates 75; the stack being urged downwardly by the pres sure of the springs 72 on the plate 71.

A stack of envelop blanks is then placed on the feed elevator table 13 and the latter is adjusted to a proper working position.

With the parts located as in Fig. I, the first operation of the machine moves the gluing rollers 29, 30, 81, and 82, beneath the picker head to transmit glue to the lower faces of the wings 2122 and to the l0ngitudinal edges of the exposed lower patch in the container.

With the next operation the rod 10 moves the picker head and patch box downwardly into contact with the top envelop blank to glue the edges of the upper and lower flaps thereof and to afiix the patch to the blank to close the opening 47 As the head moves i1pwardly the blank is likewise lifted agalnst the stripper plate and mechanism (not shown) actuates the fingers 45 to move in wardly and then outwardly to remove the blank from the stack so that the one beneath will be exposed for a following opera tion of the heads.

The horizontal table 13 carried by the bracket 12 can be progressively fed toward the picker head through the medium of the rack 12 and the pinion 13 in a well known manner.

This operation is repeated until the supply of patches is exhausted from the container and it may then be removed and refilled.

With a device of this character, it is 'apparent that the patches are applied simultaneously with the gluing of the edges of the blank and that in so doing one opera.- tion, heretofore used, is eliminated, thereby greatlygfacilitating the making of envelops and reducing the amount of operating mechanism.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a machine for making open face envelops, the combination with an envelop forming blank support and a picker head for applying glue to the blanks, of a patch box fixed to said head from which patches are fed and affixed to the said blanks simultaneously with the gluing of the blank.

2. In a machine for making open face envelops, the combination with an envelop forming blank support for blanks, having face openings therein, and a picker head operable for applying glue to the edges of said blanks and rollers for applying glue to the said head, of a patch container fixed to the head, operating therewith and having an open base, means for supporting a patch pack within the container, means within the container for urging the pack toward the base opening to expose the lower patch, nd means for applying glue to the edges of said patch whereby the same is afiixed to a blank to cover the opening therein.

3. In a machine for making open face envelops, the combination with an envelop forming blank support for blanks, having face openings therein, into the machine, a picker head having members for applying glue to the opposite side flaps of the blanks. of a patch container fixed to the head between the said members and having an open base, flange members fixed to the edges of said container to support a patch pack therein, yieldable means within the container for urging the pack toward the supporting members to expose the under face of the lower patch, and Tneans for applving glue to the opposite edges of the exposed patch whereby the same is afiixed to an envelop blank to cover the opening thereon on the following operation of the picker head.

4. In a machine for making open face envelops, the combination with an envelop forming blank support for blanks, having face openings therein, a picker head having members for applying glue to the opposite side flaps of the blanks, of a patch container comprising a top plate adjustably fixed to the said head between said gluing members, a patch housing, having open upper and lower faces, removably mounted on said top plate and adapted to receive a patch pack therein, flange members fixed to the housing at its lower edges to support the pack to expose the under face of the lower patch, yieldable members within the housing for urging the pack onto the supporting flanges, and means for applying glue to the gluing members and to the edges of said exposed patch whereby, on operation of the picker head, glue may be applied to the edges and the patch affixed to the blank to close the opening therein.

5. In a machine for making open face envelops, the combination with an envelop forming blank support for blanks, having face openings therein, into the machine, a picker head having members for applying glue to the opposite side flaps of the blanks, of a patch container fixed to the picker head between the gluing members and adjustable thereon into registration With. said envelop openings, said container having a base opening, flange members fixed to the container and extending slightly within the housing for urging the pack against the supporting members, and means for applying glue to the gluing members and to the edges of the lower patch whereby, on operation of the picker head, glue may be applied to the blank and a patch applied thereto to cover the opening therein.

6. In a machine for making open face envelops, the combination with an envelop forming blank support for blanks, having face openings therein, a picker head having wing members for applying glue to the opposite side flaps of the blanks, of a supporting plate adjustably fixed to the picker head between said wings, a patch container suspendedfrom said plate and comprising a top member yieldable toward the supporting plate, a housing supported by the top plate and removable therefrom, and having an open base, flange members fixed to the housing walls adjacent the opening and extending slightly therein to support a patch pack'within the housing, a plate movable within the housing to engage the top of a pack therein, and yieldable members fixed on said plate to engage the top plate to urge the pack against the supporting members for the purpose set forth.

7. In a machine of the character described, the combination with the mechanism for successively advancing envelops through the machine, a picker head operable for applying glue to the blanks, and glue applying rollers, of a housing adapted to contain a patch pack, and having an open base and alining recesses at its ends, of means for actuating the gluing rollers through said housing recesses and across the lower face of the exposed patch for the purpose set forth.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination with the mechanism for successively advancing envelops through the machine, a picker head. for applying glue to the blanks, and glue applying rollers, of a housing adapted to contain a patch pack having an open base, alining recesses in its opposite ends and apertures in its side walls,

of flange plates fixed to said walls and extending slightly into said opening to support a patch pack within the housing, yieldable means for urging the pack against said supports, and means for actuating the gluing rollers, through said recesses and across the lower patch for the purpose set forth.

9. In a machine of the character described, an anchor plate, a patch pack housing comprising a top plate supported from and yieldable toward the said anchor plate, and having guide flanges at its edges, a housing slidable in said guideways and removably latched to said top plate, said housing having open top and bottom sides, flange members fixed to the housing adjacent the base of'and extending slightly within the opening to support a patch pack within the housing, a plate movable within the housing and yieldable members on said plate for urging the latter downwardly for the purpose set forth. 3

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EUGENE BERTRAM BERKOWITZ.

Copies of thispatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

